Type unit



Nov, 1926.

TYPE UNIT FiledJa'n. 11K, 1926 Z H kr?) Y u n invern-OT, l I 4EPUT-nurnY by/w Mij/M Anya Patented Nov. 9,1926.

CARL E. PUTNAM, OEEAIRPORT, NEW YORKASSIGNOR To MARKEM MACHINE COM-rANY,v or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OE MASSACHUSETTS.

TYPE UNIT.

Application filed January 11, 1926. Serial 1\T,o i80,509.

This invention relates to marking o'r printmg machines and particularlyto those machines which employ a type chase presenting one or moreslotted bars adapted to holdthe" type and. into which the type may beinserted from above. A type chase having this construction isilliistra'tedin co-pending application Serial No. 698,869, filed Marchlf3, 1924, jointly by myself. and'Fred A. Putnam. In the 4type chaseshown in said vapplication Serial No. 698,869 each .type'element is madewith a body'portion of a size to be received'in the type-receiving slot,the uppei` end of the type element being somewhat wider than thebody'thereb'y to provide shoulders which reist on the top edge oftheslotted type-supporting bar, said shoulders serving to position properly'the type.

ln order that a' type of this character may always function properly andbe correctly lined up when inserted in the slot, it is necessary thatthev supporting shoulders of the l type which rest on the top edge ofthe supportingl har should be voi a character to withstand any wear towhich the type may be l ,subjected and also lto withstand any distortiondue to any pressure or strain to which t-he type is subjected in theprinting operation. v

Tvlilhere'each type element is' an integral shouldered element it isnecessary tomake each type element ot some relatively hard.

material, such `orinstance as brass. To

make a type element out of such hardmaterial is a'rather expensiveoperation due to' the vtact that' the type characters havejto'be cut orengraved on the end oi ithe type elements. .jy

It is one purpose of my present invention to provide a novel type memberwhich can be used'in a type chase such as above described and whichcanbemanufactured at a considerably' less expense Vthan that in.

volved in makingy the type characters of brass or some other hardmaterial.

This purpose is accomplished herein by using ordinary printerstype,rwhich, as is well known, are of relatively soit metal but arecomparatively inexpensive to purchase, and by applying to the end ofeach type a cap member oi some harder material constructed to providethe necessary shoulders bars. With this construction the body of eachtype member is of the inexpensive type to rest on the top of thetypesupporting metal while the upper part of the type is O't the hardmaterial Whichis adapted to withstand wear and also tohold its shapeagainst distortion when subjected to pressure.

y Another feature ot' my invention relates to a novel. construction koftype in which the body ot' the typeis made ot ordinary commercial typemeta-l type'and the upper end of hard metal and in which the supporting`shoulders are so arranged thatthe individual vtype can be set as closetogether as ordinary printers type. 4

'In order to'g'ive an understanding of the invention I have illustratedin the drawings lav selected embodiment thereof which will nowbedescribedvafter which the novel features will'be 'pointed out intheappended claims. x

Fig. 1 is aperspective view of a type element embodying my invention;

^ Fig.` 2 illustrates an ordinary printers type; Y Fig. 8 'is aperspective view oi"` the cap member which is applied to the. printerstype tomake my improved type' element;

ig. t is an underside view of ya'portion ot a type Chase embodying myinvention; Y y Y Fig. '5 .is a sectional view showing the type chase ina printing head; ,Y Y

F1g. 6 is a section on thelinje 6 6, Fig. 4.

her type rchase herein' illustrated and which is` similar to rthatillust-rated in copending application Serial No. 698,869 'coinprises aframe lhaving a plurality ot' slotted type-supporting `rbars '2, thetypeffbeing in-` serted in the slots-,3 thereof] Each typesupporting baris shown as formed from two spaced strips 4 which are connected togetherat their ends, the spaces'between the strips forming the slots 3. Thistype chase is de'-y vsigned toy be used with type ,members which have ashank portion that extends through the slotB and also has shoulders torest on the top of the strips 4. When the type have V been set into thetype chase for printing any desired data then the latter is secured toa4 printing head 5 in some appropriate way.

The type chase has a rib 6 at one edge which engages a lip 7 formed onthe printing head and said chase also has another' lip 8 at its oppositeedge which is engaged by a latch member 9 that is pivoted at l0 to theprinting head and is acted on by a spring that normally holds it in itsinoperative position in'engagement with the lip' 8. When.

the type chase is in this position the uppery n type-engage the top ofthe bars4, the type thus being held rigidly in place. This constructionis described fully in the abovementioned co-pending application.

In accordance with my present invention each type member is made up ofordinary printers type such as shownv in Jdig. 5. Printers type is awell known article of commerce which can be freely purchased on themarket and which is made with type character' in a variety of designs. Aprinters 'type such as purchased on the market, one of which isillustrated at 12 in Fig. 2, is not suitable for use in the type chaseherein shown because it lacks the supporting shoulders to rest on thetop of the slotted bars 2. In order to adapt this printers type for usein the above-mentioned type chase I provide each element 12 with a capmember'. 13 of some relatively hard metal, such as brass, and whichforms the desired shoulders. The cap member herein shown has a generalVU- shape and is provided with a socket 14 between the arms thereof intowhich the upper end of the type member 12 is fitted. This socket 14 mayconveniently be dove-tailed so as to form something of an interlockingengagement between the cap'and the type.

The shoulders for supporting the type are Aformed by the lower ends 15of the arms of the cap member, said arms being of the right length forthis purpose. Tnasmuch as the printers type are of a standard length itwill be necessary to cut off the upper end of each type, as indicated atthe dotted lines 16, F ig. f2., the amount which is cut off being equalto the thickness of the bridge portion 17 ofthe metal cap, so that whenthe cap is applied to the typeit will have the same length it originallyhad. This makes a type element such as shown in Fig. 1 and whichpresents a body portion of" type metal having the type character 18 atits end, and also having shoulders 15 of some harder material than thetype metal and which are adapted to rest on the top of the slotted barsl2. The upper end. or top surface 19 of the type character which restsagainst the bottom of the vprinting head is also of relatively hardmetal.

Inasmuch as the caps 13 are of the same thickness as the type in thedirection of the length of the line of type it is possible to set myimproved' type characters as closely together as ordinary printers typecan be set. Ordinary printers type can be converted into a type elementembodying my invention vat ar relatively small expense and when Vsoconverted they may be used for setting up lines of type in the typechase with as great facility' as type characters illustrated in theabove-mentioned application. The cost of the type elements herein shownis, however, very much less than that of the brass type elementsillustrated in the abovementioned application. l. 1

fhile I have described herein a selected embodiment of my invention I donot wish to be limited to the constructional features shown.

I claim:

1. A type velement comprising abody portionrof ordinary printers typeand a cap member of material harder than type metal which encloses theupper end of Jthe type and forms supporting shoulders.

2. A type, member for use in a type chase having a slotted type-holdingbar, said type member comprising printers type and a cap member ofmaterial harder than the'printers type applied to the end thereof andforming shoulders to rest on the top of the slotted bar. y Y

3. A type member for use in a type chase having al slotted type-holdingbar, said type member comprisingprinters type of type metal, and aU-shaped. cap of metalv harder .than the type enclosing the upper endthereof and forming shouldersto rest on the top of the type-supportingbar.

4. Atype vmember for use in a type chase having a slottedtype-supporting bar, said member beingv formed of printers type and a'U-shaped cap member of materialharder than type material fitting theupper end of said type member, the ends of the arms of the cap memberforming shoulders to rest onV the top ofthe type bars, and said memberhaving the same dimension as said Vtype members in the direction of theline of type. In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to thisspecification.

CARL E. rUTNAM.

